


Like Nothing We've Ever Done Before

by unchartedelissa (elissanerdwriter)



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7404241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elissanerdwriter/pseuds/unchartedelissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam looked at him incredulously. “Are you crazy?"<br/>Nate gave him a crooked smile. “Relax. It’s no more risky than anything we’ve done before.”<br/>“Nothing about this job is like anything we’ve done before. Nathan-”<br/>“Do you want to get out of here or not?” Nate looked him straight in the face and they stared at each other for a long moment before Sam looked away, ducking his head to catch a look at the men and more subtly wipe away the blood in his eyes.<br/>“Yeah, fine. But if I have to drag your waterlogged ass out of the ocean, I’m going to kill you myself.”<br/>Nate grinned reassuringly at him. “You got it. Don’t worry, big brother, I did learn how to swim. Eventually.”</p><p>Sam doesn't get shot in Panama; instead, he and Nate make their way to Scotland and meet a whole new world of trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stories We Can't Tell

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Everything I know about guns and other weapons and how they work is learned from video games and I don't plan on improving that knowledge, so please ignore any mistakes. We're using game physics, I know there are several somewhat ridiculous scenarios that occur but physics don't always apply in the same way here.
> 
> There are two groups of antagonists, the authorities and a band of mercenaries a la Shoreline. There is a lot of canon divergence and a lot of it will not be explained right away, so think of the actual Avery job and all other Uncharted events as a starting point rather than reality in this AU.

“Nathan! Could use some help up here, if you wanna give a hand!”

Nate reloaded his handgun and risked a glance around the wall. Across the ravine were four guys, shouting to each other and opening fire randomly. Clearly top-of-the-line guards they had here. “Yeah yeah, I’m coming!”

He got off a shot and sent one over the edge, but he didn’t bother trying for another hit. Sam was above him, shooting whenever he could get the chance, but the ravine was still caving in overhead and sending rock crashing down on them. He wasn’t in the most protected place. Nate pressed his back to the wall, breathing heavily. “Can you see a way out of this mess?”

Sam’s head appeared above him, still bleeding from the cut over his eye. His face was shadowed, sweat trickling down it. It must have stung, but his expression was set. “Look, Nate, I can barely see anything. ’M not sure I can do much more swinging around. We need a way out that doesn’t involve so much crashing into shit.”

“You know I’m good, but I’m not that good.” Nate found a handhold in the wall and pulled himself up to lay beside Sam on the roof of the watchtower. There was another loud crunch from above them and a shelf of rock slid between them and the guards, crashing into the ocean. The brothers both covered their heads with their arms, and when they looked up again, the guards were still pressed against the opposite cliff face under the shelter of an outcrop. Nate looked up at the shifting cliff. “Think you can manage one more jump, old man?”

Sam looked at him evenly, but his face was tight. Up close, it was lined and pained and grey. He didn’t try to tease back. “Yeah. Go ahead.”

Nate crawled to the side of the tower, looking up at the high ravine top and then down at the choppy ocean below. “If we drop some more of those rocks, shoot ‘em down or something, maybe we could jump without those guys seeing.”

Sam looked at him incredulously. “Are you crazy? You’ll get hit and crushed, or they’ll shoot you just by accident, or-”

Nate gave him a crooked smile. “Relax. It’s no more risky than anything we’ve done before.”

“Nothing about this job is like anything we’ve done before. Nathan-”

“Do you want to get out of here or not?” Nate looked him straight in the face and they stared at each other for a long moment before Sam looked away, ducking his head to catch a look at the men and more subtly wipe away the blood in his eyes.

“Yeah, fine. But if I have to drag your waterlogged ass out of the ocean, I’m going to kill you myself.”

Nate grinned reassuringly at him. “You got it. Don’t worry, big brother, I did learn how to swim. Eventually.” He got to his hands and knees and moved to the edge farthest from the men, zipping up his jacket before he started to examine the cliff, marking potential weak spots. “Think you can help me hit the marks?”

Before Sam could answer, there was a spray of gunfire, making them both duck. Nate looked at the guards, but they were still grouped close together and were looking out at the open ocean. With a sinking feeling, he looked over his shoulder to find a patrol boat bouncing on the grey waves, far enough out that it wasn’t in danger of smashing into the rocks but still close enough to hit them with enough persistence. Great, Nate thought. ‘Cause these guys have proven to be such quitters. “Sam…”

“I know, I know, I see them. No chance they’re going after our friends on the cliff, I guess?” Just as he finished his sentence, he fired three shots. None of them hit home, but they were close enough to make the gunner flinch. Sam was concentrating hard, his forehead twisted with determination. The hit to his head hadn’t been a light one, and he couldn’t be feeling the steadiest. “You’re the one with the escape plan, focus on that.”

“They’re right in the middle of our way out.”

Sam blinked quickly, giving his head a short shake like he was trying to clear it, but his gaze was still trained on the boat. “Yeah, well, our other exit plan is currently on the other side of the island in flames and I don’t like our chances of getting another way out anytime soon. I’ll try to knock ‘em down a few notches.” He shifted on his elbows, blinking again.

Nate nodded even though Sam wasn’t watching and looked back up. “I think I’ve got my target. Shouldn’t take much force to knock it down. You ready?” Sam nodded once, grimly. “Okay, on my count. One… two… three!”

He shot as many bullets as he had left, and the general rumbling increased to a roar as the unstable ground gave in completely, dumping down towards them. Sam also emptied his gun at the boat, but Nate didn’t have time to check the damage. He’d misjudged how much of an avalanche the rockfall would cause, and suddenly the cracks were spreading around the whole mouth of the ravine, towards the boat but also towards their exit…

“Shit. Sam! Jump now!”

“What about the-”

“I got it! Go!”

Sam scrambled to his feet and to the edge of the tower, jumping off just as his shoe curled over the weathered stone side. His arms windmilled as he dropped, just missing the balcony Nate had been standing on earlier. The gunman on the boat pivoted to try and track his falling body, but Sam was falling too fast and soon Nate had shot the mercenary. The man reeled back until he hit the side of the boat and collapsed. Sam hit the water, spitting as he surfaced again, and looked up at Nate. He was barely visible in the spray. The guards were still more or less invisible behind the thundering downpour of rock. Nate smiled quickly before backing up to jump after Sam while the guards and the boat were still in chaos.

A sharp crack echoed around him, and for a moment, he couldn’t figure out what it was or where it had come from. Was it below him? The guys on the cliff? Something above? He started to look up, but a wordless yell from Sam and the sound of gunfire below distracted him and he had barely moved when the roof under him shuddered. The remnants of the old house collapsing above him, its foundations already gone, now slammed into the back of the watchtower and destroyed almost half of the building. Nate found himself on the edge of the remaining roof, tipping backwards with hands flailing and old ruins still falling around him. He got himself together enough to run and leap off the intact side, tumbling towards Sam far below.

It felt like it was happening in slow motion. The piece of the big arch that used to look out over the ocean was now falling and he realized he was jumping towards it- into it, really, and it hit him and threw him sideways. Through the pain of the impact, he saw the watchtower’s balcony coming up at him. Several stories beneath it was the ocean, and Sam.

He closed his eyes. It was rapidly dawning on him that this was it. Cockiness and luck only ever got you so far, and he’d run out of both. This was his heist gone wrong, the tale he’d never tell for himself, the stupid mistake he’d never get to laugh about when the bruises had faded. This was the one he wouldn’t walk away from. And he was scared as hell.  
Sam was right. Everything about this one was different.

The crushing force of the stone balcony hit his back- ribs, spine, elbows, skull, all broken, one after another. Hung there for a second, twisted and mangled around the stone with his head snapped back to see the sky cracking and falling towards him. And then he was falling again, blood pounding in his ears, heavy. He’d never thought he’d really feel his body as he died, like he’d suddenly become some kind of weightless angel of wrath. But here it was, still subject to gravity, still pulling him down. Nathan Drake had never considered himself a really scientific man, but here he was, thinking about physics in his last seconds on this earth.

It was better than thinking about Sam below him, watching the younger brother he’d cared for alone for so long fall to his death despite his best efforts, able to do nothing about it. Bleeding and drowning himself, probably about to get shot anyway. Yeah, that was a lot worse.

Nate opened his eyes just in time to see the waves rush up and swallow him, pushing the air from his broken chest, tossing him spread-eagled. And with his body being wrecked as it was, he had no way to stop himself sinking into the cold ocean, water filling his mouth and throat. He didn’t even have the good sense not to swallow.

It was dark, and getting darker. He was light-headed. It wasn’t long before he lost consciousness completely.


	2. Four to Nine Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam crossed his free arm. He wasn’t sure what was happening. It felt like something that should have screamed either ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ or ‘TRAP!’ but the silence and apparent gunshot was odd. Also, he’d had clients and acquaintances call at all hours of the night, but never between 4 and 9 in the morning. It had become sort of an unspoken rule, right up there with ‘don’t tell anyone your address’ and ‘don’t brag about a job before it’s done.’ Hey, they all needed to sleep sometimes, didn’t they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otherwise known as, the chapter where we start to see how divergent this really is. More characters will continue to be introduced over the next few chapters.

_ “What the hell is that? What alarm did you set off this time, Nathan?” _

_ “Jesus, I didn’t touch anything. If anyone set it off, it was you, you clumsy bastard.” _

_ “I’ll have you know I am a highly trained dancer?” _

_ “Shut up. Help me turn it off?” _

The phone was ringing. Sam lifted his head from the pillow and rubbed at his face, trying to blink away the leftover ache from the dream. Every single time it happened, he woke up feeling scared and helpless, even if it had seemed like the nicest dream in the world while it was happening.

“Darling, can you get the phone? I’m trying to get my damn hair to stay up. Damn pins, I swear...”

Sam sat up, legs swung off the side of the bed. “Yeah, I got it.” Something hit the floor in the bathroom loudly, followed by a softer ‘shit.’ “You okay in there?”

“Shut up. Get the damn phone.”

He smiled amiably. “No problem, love. Just making sure you haven’t become an unintentional amputee.” Slowly, he stood, grimacing as his back cracked. He was sore, but really, that wasn’t unusual. “Or a burn victim.” He walked to the door, glancing into the bathroom as he passed. “Or needing stitches-”

“Samuel, I swear to God-”

“Okay, okay. Relax. I just love you so much, I want to take care of you-”

A hairbrush sailed past him and landed on the bed. “ _ Get the phone, Drake. _ ”

Sam huffed and went into the living room, catching the phone just before its last ring. “Yeah, yeah. Suppose I’m lucky that wasn’t a straightener or some shit. Jesus, you’d think I married a-”

The voice on the phone cut across his, and he stopped. It was low and garbled and made him feel vaguely uneasy, but he couldn’t place why. “Is this Mr. Samuel Drake?”

“Yeah, this is he. You know, it’s awfully early to be calling someone’s residence, so if you don’t mind...” Sam waited for the other to make an objection or just continue, but the line was silent. He shrugged and moved to set the phone back down. A sharp “Wait!”on the other side made him pause, lifting it back to his ear.

“What?” he said neutrally, glancing back into the room where the hairbrush was being reclaimed. It was silent again. “Look, buddy, I don’t know what you’re doing calling me now, but I have something I need to get back to-” There was a muffled, unidentifiable sound on the other end, almost like a- gunshot? “What- are you okay over there?”

“Yeah- yeah.” The voice had gotten shakier, and Sam could hear deep breathing. “Can’t talk now. Meet me at the cafe on First Street in an hour. I have some information you’ll want to hear. You are related to one Nathan Drake?”

Any comment he was going to make about their situation faded immediately. Sam’s eyebrows lowered, the dream flashing in his mind. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but-”

“Come alone. First Street. One hour. Okay?”

Sam crossed his free arm. He wasn’t sure what was happening. It felt like something that should have screamed either ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ or ‘TRAP!’ but the silence and apparent gunshot was odd. Also, he’d had clients and acquaintances call at all hours of the night, but never between 4 and 9 in the morning. It had become sort of an unspoken rule, right up there with ‘don’t tell anyone your address’ and ‘don’t brag about a job before it’s done.’ Hey, they all needed to sleep sometimes, didn’t they?

And, well- they had mentioned Nathan. If he didn’t go, he’d always be wondering if he might have missed his chance. At what, he wasn’t sure yet, but he’d just be letting his little brother down one more time. And he couldn’t do that.

“Okay, I’ll be there. But I’d really like to know who I’m agreeing to meet-”

The person let out a breath quickly, the crackling sound making him grimace and hold the phone back a bit. The line clicked and went dead. He took the phone away from his ear and looked at it, exhaling slowly. What the hell was happening?

“Well, damn,” he muttered to himself before crossing back to the bedroom and tossing the phone on the bed. “Look, hon, I know we said we’d go to the rehearsal together but…”

Chloe looked at him, her hair finally pinned up. Her red dress was still unzipped in the back, and she fortunately seemed more amused than angry. “Sam, I didn’t think for a moment both of us would make it. I doubt Cutter thought it either.” She turned and grabbed the shirt that was laid over a chair back, tossing it to him before coming to stand in front of him. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned her back. “Zip me up?”

He did, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her to his bare chest and tucking his head against her neck. “I’ll see what this person wants, then come as soon as I can. Give Charlie my regards, yeah?”

She twisted to face him, sliding her hands between them. “Yeah. Any idea what this is about?”

He shrugged. “No. There seemed to be a- situation of some kind, though. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

She grinned at him. “Situation? Is that what you call yourself when you’re on a job? The situation is coming, stand aside, gentlemen?”

“Really? You think that little of me?” She shrugged, tilting her head at a regal angle. Sam rolled his eyes at her, resting his hand between her shoulderblades and starting to sway with her. “Nah, thought I heard a gun. Could be wrong though,” he added quickly. “The connection wasn’t great.” 

“Just take care.” She was biting her lip slightly, uneasy even though her voice was light.

Sam grinned down at her. “Yeah, sure. Don’t I always?”

She shoved him away. “Oh yeah, sure, he says. Always careful, my ass.”

He tugged at her arm playfully. “Well, it is a nice ass. Objectively. Not like I’d ever say that to her face. You know, I hear she’s married.”

She raised one eyebrow, leaning in towards him. “Oh, is she, now? I never thought that’d stop the famous bad boy Samuel Drake.”

Suddenly, her foot was behind his and she pushed him, knocking him back on the bed. He still had her arm, and it was easy for him to pull her down too. After a short struggle that had them both snorting breathlessly, she had him pinned to the sheets. He freed one arm and deliberately raised his hand to her face. She eyed him warily, but he just twirled a strand of her hair around his finger before giving her a crooked smile.

“Shit, my hair!” She shot up, hurrying to the bathroom mirror and leaving him laughing on the bed. A muffled string of impolite words reached him as he sat up again and put his shirt on. Finally, she said, “Eh, Charlie won’t care if I let it stay. Doubt he’d even recognize me with that updo, honestly.” Her hand appeared around the doorframe, middle finger up. “No thanks to you, though.”

“Hey, I’m just helping you realize your true self!” he said brightly, pulling on his pants and looping his belt through. “Wouldn’t want you being something you’re not. What if someone tries to break up the party and you can’t stop them because- because you’re too worried about your hairdo getting messed up?”

She stuck her head out this time, half her hair hanging down around her face. “Yes, because I’m the one always worried about messing up my hair.”

He paused in putting on his socks to run a hand through his hair, tilting his head at her. “Hey, if you had hair this gorgeous, you’d want to protect it too.”

“You must not have been doing a good job, it’s getting a little thin up there.”

He shook his head at the empty doorway. “Ouch. I’m hurt.”

“Hmm.” She came out again, hair loose around her shoulders, and stood in front of him. Her eyebrow lifted as she pointedly examined his hairline, but her cocky smile faded too easily to have been genuine as her gaze drifted over the rest of his face, searchingly. She rested one hand on his shoulder and the other trailed over his skin, brushing the places where he knew scars were still visible. He didn’t interrupt, knowing it would just leave her more anxious later if he brushed her off. Finally, her fingertips stopped on the raised tissue just over his eyebrow, the only one he really wished would fade and the only one that never did. He knew she’d caught him looking at it more than once, and though he’d never told her when he’d received it, she almost certainly had connected it to one of the few other things he never talked about. Sometimes he forgot just how perceptive she was.

“Sam?”

He took her waist, gently. “Hm?”

“I-” Her chin dropped to her chest. “Just- Bring me back something shiny, yeah?”

He smiled, as reassuringly as he could, and pulled her into his chest. Even if she was joking again, he could feel her heartbeat, way too quick. “Of course.” 

She kissed his nose, then returned to the bathroom.

As he pulled his jacket on and left the apartment, one thought was pinging around his head, returning every time he shoved it away and drowning out all the other little thoughts.  _ Nothing about this job is like anything we’ve done before. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find me on tumblr at unchartedelissa, and feedback or general comments are always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> I have been editing this for over two months and I finally decided to give up and post it. The inspiration came from the question, what if Sam makes it out of Panama and loses Nate instead? How would that change both their characters?
> 
> The chapters will switch back and forth between the story of this heist, going backwards, and Sam 12 years after this moment. The chronological location of each chapter will be listed in the beginning notes.
> 
> I have several chapters of this written, and I really hope I have the energy and inspiration to continue it. Feedback, kudos and general comments are always appreciated (especially about dialogue and pacing)! You can find me on tumblr at unchartedelissa!


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